How to move a shipping container depends mostly on how far it's going. A few feet takes jacks, pipe and patience. Across the property you need a big enough forklift or a crane, and often a truck anyway. Across town it's the same tilt-bed truck that delivered it, run in reverse. Across the country it becomes freight, and selling it and buying another near the destination often costs less. If you rent from us, though, please don't move it yourself. We move it for you and quote the cost first.
An empty 20ft weighs about 4,800 to 5,100 lb and a 40ft about 8,000 to 8,400 lb, so every method below means heavy equipment or a truck. The least expensive move is the one you avoid by putting the container in the right spot the first time.
Four kinds of move at a glance
| Distance | What does the job | Permit? |
|---|---|---|
| A few feet, or leveling | Bottle jacks, steel pipe or rollers, timber cribbing | No |
| Across the property | Forklift rated 15,000 lb with 6 ft forks (20ft only), crane, or a tilt-bed truck | Usually no |
| Across town | Tilt-bed pickup and redelivery, or a heavy trailer for a 20ft | Rarely |
| Long distance | Flatbed or step-deck freight, sometimes rail | Sometimes, for a high cube or a restricted route |
These are typical planning figures. A quote for your site sets the real number.
Moving it a few feet: jacks, rollers, pipe
If the container is a foot off where you wanted it, or sitting low on one corner, you don't need a truck. The corner castings are the lift points. With the container on blocks or ties, a 12 or 20 ton bottle jack under the frame right at a corner casting, on a steel plate or hardwood block so it doesn't sink, raises one corner a few inches at a time. Crib it with timber as you go so you're never relying on the jack alone.
To slide it, raise one end, set two or three lengths of 3 to 4 in steel pipe under it, and pull it slowly with a tractor and a strap. It rolls forward off the back pipe, which you carry to the front, and you repeat. If the box is loaded, the ground is soft or there's any slope, stop and call a truck.
Across the property: tractor, skid steer or forklift
Most farm equipment isn't big enough. A compact tractor's loader typically lifts about 1,000 to 2,500 lb, and skid steers are rated from roughly 1,500 lb for small machines to 3,500 lb or so for large ones. Lifting one end of an empty 20ft means picking up about 2,400 to 2,550 lb, so a large skid steer with forks can raise one end a few inches to slide blocks under it. It can't carry the container anywhere, and one end of a 40, at 4,000 lb or more, is beyond almost all of them. The container weight guide has the figures by size.
Equipment that does the job:
- A forklift rated for at least 15,000 lb with 6 ft or longer forks, on firm ground, can move an empty 20ft through its fork pockets. The rating is that high because the load sits a long way out on the forks.
- A crane lifts any size by the top corner castings with a spreader bar or four slings, and it's the only safe way to lift a 40. Mobile crane hire is priced by the hour, usually with a minimum number of hours.
- A tilt-bed truck can often winch the container back on, drive to the new spot and slide it off again. Beyond a few dozen feet, it's usually the least expensive option.
Dragging an empty container on skids, with chains on the bottom castings, can work for a short pull on packed ground. It can also rack the frame and leave you with doors that never seal properly again. Never drag a loaded box.
Across town: tilt-bed pickup and redelivery
A tilt-bed (rollback) truck backs up to the container, tilts its bed, winches the container up, drives it over and slides it off at the new address. It's the same process as delivery with a pickup added, and it needs the same room at both ends:
- A straight, clear approach of roughly 60 to 100 ft for a 20ft and 100 to 150 ft for a 40ft, about 12 ft wide
- 14 to 16 ft of clear height over the spot with no wires or branches, since the container rises as the bed tilts
- Firm, fairly level ground the truck can drive on
Plan on emptying it first, because many haulers won't winch a loaded container and contents shift as the bed tilts. Have the route clear before the truck arrives. On our deliveries the first hour on site is free, then waiting is billed by the hour. A heavy-duty tilt-deck trailer behind a properly rated pickup can also move a 20ft you own, but a 40ft needs a much longer trailer and usually a commercial truck.
Cost is roughly two local deliveries' worth, because a move is a pickup plus a second drop. Rentals we move ourselves, with a quote first. If you own the container, ask in the quote form and we'll check what's possible near you.
Long distance: flatbed, rail and intermodal
Past about an hour's drive, the move becomes freight. A flatbed or step-deck semi carries the container, and because a flatbed driver doesn't unload, you need equipment at both ends: a forklift rated for at least 15,000 lb or a crane for a 20ft, and a crane for a 40ft. You also need room for a 48 to 53 ft trailer to pull in and leave. Crane vs tilt-bed covers which one your site needs.
Freight is priced per loaded mile with the empty return built in, and moving a single container a few hundred miles can easily cost more than buying a used one delivered near the destination. A used container delivered near the destination is the number to beat, so get that quote first. Rail rarely pays off for one container, since it needs a truck at each end.
The resale value guide covers what a used container sells for locally, and a standard 20ft at the destination may cost less than the freight to bring yours.
What it costs
As a rough rule, if the moving quote is more than about half the delivered price of the same grade near the destination, selling where it sits and buying again usually comes out ahead. For a tired wind and watertight container, that math almost always favors selling. For a one-trip container that already has a door and insulation in it, moving usually wins.
Permits and oversize rules
On the road, the limits that matter are width and height. A standard container is 8 ft wide and 8 ft 6 in tall. On a tilt-bed or a standard flatbed deck it stays inside the 8 ft 6 in (102 in) federal width limit and comes in at or under 13 ft 6 in tall, which is within the height limits most states set, so the load itself needs no permit.
A 40ft high cube is 9 ft 6 in tall. On a standard flatbed deck of about 5 ft, that's 14 ft 6 in, over the limit in most states, so it travels on a step-deck trailer or needs an oversize permit and a planned route.
Check the destination's zoning and HOA rules before it arrives, too.
Before the truck arrives
- Empty the container and sweep it.
- Clear the route at both ends: vehicles, trailers, low branches, and gates narrower than 12 ft.
- Mark the corners at the new spot and decide which way the doors face.
- Prepare the base with a gravel pad, railroad ties or blocks, and check that it's level.
- Photograph the container, doors, floor and corners before it's lifted.
- Be there to show the driver both spots.
If the site turns out different from what the hauler was told and the truck can't place the container, expect to pay for a redelivery (one more delivery charge on our orders). Sending photos of both spots in advance helps avoid that.
Frequently asked questions
Can I move a shipping container myself?
If you own it and it's empty, you can shift it a few feet with jacks, pipe and cribbing on firm, level ground. Anything further needs a forklift rated for 15,000 lb or more, a crane, or a tilt-bed truck. If you rent it from us, please don't move it. We move it and quote the cost first.
How much does it cost to move a shipping container?
Across town by tilt-bed, plan on roughly the cost of two local deliveries. Long distance by flatbed is priced per loaded mile and can exceed the price of a used container delivered at the other end.
Do shipping container movers need the box empty?
Usually, yes. Tilt-bed trucks winch the container up a tilted bed, and crane and forklift lifts are planned around the empty weight. Rental containers go back to us empty and swept.
Can a shipping container be moved with a forklift?
A 20ft can, with a forklift rated for at least 15,000 lb and forks 6 ft or longer, on firm ground. A 40ft normally has no fork pockets and needs a crane.
Do I need a permit to transport a shipping container?
Not usually for a standard-height container on a flatbed or tilt-bed, since it stays within normal width and height limits. A 40ft high cube on a standard flatbed can be over height, so the hauler may need a step-deck trailer or an oversize permit.
Sometimes buying a second container costs less than moving the first. Send your ZIP and we'll give you the delivered number to compare, usually within 1 to 2 business hours.
